Holiday Wishes: Single mom lost everything but most important things in fire

A few years ago, Kimicko Cannon packed one small suitcase for herself and her children and moved to Minnesota for a fresh start.

The single mom was building a new life for her family when, this year, they lost everything but each other in an apartment fire.

So, she's starting over again -- this time, without even a suitcase.

Cannon's continuing fortitude led to her nomination for Holiday Wishes -- the Pioneer Press' annual giving program with Greater Twin Cities United Way.

"By setting goals, never giving up and having enduring strength, Kimicko continues to be an inspiration and role model to those who know her, including her own daughters," wrote her nominator, Nichol Diggs-Ellis, a family resource specialist with Project for Pride in Living, a nonprofit that helps low-income people become self-reliant.

Cannon's enduring strength was honed in childhood, she says, as a witness to drug abuse as well as being shuffled in and out of foster homes in the Chicago area. Now 26, she has had difficulty digging herself out of poverty.

"I decided to move away after the apartment building we were living in was foreclosed," Cannon says. "It was also infested with mice, which is why the kids and I only had that one suitcase."

Cannon and her daughters -- ages 4, 6 and 7 -- have experienced the kindness of strangers in Minnesota, including at the scene of the fire in May.

"The fire started from an incense I was burning," she says. "I beat myself up about it then and I still do. I had no renters' insurance. I am so thankful for the Red Cross.

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They paid for us to stay at an extended-stay hotel. They even drove us there, and they gave us money for things we had lost -- they helped me replace my glasses. The kids had no shoes on; we had no toothbrushes. We needed everything."

Six months later, life has improved -- thanks to Cannon's determination.

"They stayed in a homeless shelter for a couple of months," Diggs-Ellis wrote. "During that time, Kimicko was committed to searching daily for affordable housing. She ... was able to secure an apartment and has remained current on rent, though well over 50 percent of her income goes to rent. She has also started school."

Cannon is enrolled in a 20-week Community Health Worker program at Summit Academy OIC, a community-based vocational training and job-placement program in North Minneapolis. As part of this program, Cannon will be also earning her Certified Nursing Assistant certification

"My ultimate goal is to be an R.N.," Cannon says.

Her English teacher at Summit Academy believes in Cannon because of two traits he says he sees in her: respect and determination.

"Kimicko is really respectful of her classmates and her instructors," says Jamie Plaisance, an instructor in the CHW program.

WHAT IS HOLIDAY WISHES?

For 15 years, the Pioneer Press has teamed with Greater Twin Cities United Way to raise money for local families in need. The Pioneer Press shares their stories and hopes for the holiday season; United Way gives you a way to help make the families' wishes come true. Profiles of these families will appear this month and in December. For more information, call 612-340-7400. This year's stories will be published over the next few weeks.

"For some of us, that goes without saying, to be respectful at school.

"But for our population of students, it's not always easy to put everything at the door and put a smile on your face. Our students have gone through a lot in life and are still going through a lot," Plaisance says. "It's a job-training school, so the majority are unemployed. Their full-time job is to be a student here.

"But, as anyone can imagine, not having a steady income can be a real obstacle to being successful from one day to the next. Studying for a test or doing your homework sometimes can be put on a back burner when you have a hard time paying rent or putting food on the table or taking care of your kids. Nerves can be frayed; people's temples are shorter.

"With that said, Kimicko is respectful to everyone. I've never seen her get in an argument or disrespect authority," he said. "You wouldn't know what she's going through. She'd be a really good poker player. She has a smile on her face every day. She carries that respect with her, and she gets it in return."

She also seems determined to succeed, Plaisance says.

"Kimicko has told me that English is a tough subject for her, but she and I communicate well because she's determined and open-minded," Plaisance says. "She will say, 'I don't understand this, explain it to me,' when others might feel more like crumpling up the paper and throwing it away. She's not like that. She's a fighter. She's very determined not only to get good grades, but to really grasp the concepts."

Cannon's challenges continue at home. On a recent weekday, Cannon caught a bus after school and picked her kids up at the child care center across the street from her new place in South Minneapolis.

The four of them clustered around the table to talk and eat and do homework, and they did not look like a family in need at all.

"Things are starting to change for the better," Cannon says. "We may not have the most, but we're blessed because we have each other -- and that fills my heart with joy. I'm so glad that we have another holiday to spend together."

KIMICKO CANNON'S HOLIDAY WISHES

-- Casual and business attire for herself (she will be job hunting soon)

-- Clothes for her children

-- Winter items for the whole family

-- Bedding, including comforters and pillows

-- Two bunk beds for the girls and a full-sized bed for herself

-- Walmart gift card

-- Scrapbook materials to help pull together the few family photos not lost in the fire

By mail: Send a check to Holiday Wishes, c/o Greater Twin Cities United Way, 404 Eighth St. S., Minneapolis, MN 55404-1084. Checks should be made payable to United Way.

Guidelines: Donations by check or credit card are preferred. Please do not buy the family's specific wish list; instead, donate so families can buy what they need in the correct sizes. Checks made out to individuals cannot be accepted.

OTHER WAYS TO HELP

Household: Donate furniture and household goods to the families by calling Bridging Inc. at 651-631-3255. Let them know you are donating to Holiday Wishes. Bridging is a nonprofit organization that helps families in transition. Especially needed are beds, pillows and bed linens; dishes and silverware; kitchen tables and chairs; dressers; sofas and loveseats; lamps; and other necessities to set up a home when starting over. Learn more at Bridging.org.

Bicycles: Every year, Benita and Michael Warns of Mr. Michael Recycles Bicycles, 520 Prior Ave., St. Paul, donate bicycles to Holiday Wishes families who have them on their wish lists. For more information on Mr. Michael's, go to mmrbstore.com. To volunteer as a Holiday Wishes bike mechanic, call 651-641-1037 or contact the couple via email at warns@pclink.com.

Vehicles: Holiday Wishes handles families' requests for vehicles through the Transportation Solutions Loan Program, administered by Community Emergency Assistance Program. A family, who has asked to remain anonymous, pledges to help subsidize the transportation component of Holiday Wishes. Your donations also are needed to keep this program affordable for the low-income families.

As night falls, single mom Kimicko Cannon runs across Chicago Avenue in South Minneapolis with her three children after she picked them up at the learning and childcare center near their home, November 27, 2012. The children are, from left, Jada, 7, Destiny, 4, and Diamond, 6. (Pioneer Press: Chris Polydoroff)